Dan Haley returns to politics but through a different route

Dan Haley, who ended his career in journalism as the editorial page editor of The Denver Post, is returning to politics but through a different venue.

Then-Denver Post editorial page editor Dan Haley, right, looks on as Gov. John Hickenlooper tells a story during the Denver Post Pulitzer party for cartoonist Mike Keefe. (Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post)

Haley on Monday starts work at EIS Solutions, a company most commonly identified with former state Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, a Republican. The company has evolved from a small, energy-only firm to a more broadly focused government relations shop with an array of corporate, political and nonprofit clients.

“Josh and the team at EIS have been quietly building one of the most exciting and influential public affairs firms in the state and I’m honored to join them,” Haley said, in an e-mail.

Penry, senior vice president for EIS, said the firm wanted to grow the reach of its communications and media services.

“Dan gives us the chops to do that,” Penry said.

“Dan Haley is one of the most respected names in the public square in Colorado. Dan knows the media, messaging and strategy from the perspective of an insider. In a day-and-age when so many companies, campaigns and trades are focused on telling their story, Dan’s expertise in the corporate world, and his relationships in the media, are a true commodity.”

Haley left the Post in 2011 after accepting a job as director of corporate communications for CoBank, a cooperative bank that provides loans and financing to industries in rural America. He had worked at The Post as an editorial writer and a newsroom editor before becoming editorial page editor in 2007.

“Buck, who has served as Weld County district attorney for six years, ran as a far-right Tea Party conservative in his primary race against more moderate Jane Norton, and has now been tracking back to the center.

It hasn’t been an easy waltz. He’d trip over his feet more often in his march to the center if they weren’t in his mouth. Buck’s critics now call his tap dance ‘Buckpedaling.'”

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.